Hey all,

ive just painted the inside of my wheels aluminum and want to give it a more realistic look. I'm using enamel paints but i also have black acrylic. I want to give it a sort of shadowing effect. My idea was to thin black acrylic paint in a 1:10 or 1:20 ratio and then just put a bit on the brush and let it run through the detail of the wheel. Will acrylic on enamel interfere or is there a better way to achieve this effect?

Thanks!

Dave

That's the exact way to do it : ) Acrylic will not affect enamels. You might want to mix in a little brown to give them a kind of grungy look or perhaps a little white so the "shadows" dont look so deep. Play around with scraps and see what kind of effect you like the best.

fantastic! i may try the white mixed in! Cheers

You could also go out and get yourself a couple of tubes of Artists oil paints. They work great on all paint types without damage. If you do go this route be sure to pick up a bottle of oil thinners - you can get these from any art supply store or stationary stores.

Geoff

Don't forget about weighing the tires if you haven't already. Aside from the painting and weathering, recreating the physical shape of a tire supporting the weight of an airplane can add a lot to the presentation.